Ho Chi Minh City: Saving a young man who had a stroke while playing soccer

While playing soccer with his friends on the field for about 45 minutes, young man L.D.B (30 years old, living in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City) suddenly felt dizzy, lost his balance, and collapsed on the field, much to the surprise of his teammates.

Mr. B. was immediately taken to Xuyen A General Hospital (HCMC) and was admitted to the emergency room just 20 minutes after the onset of symptoms. At the Emergency Department, after examination, doctors suspected that this was a symptom of a stroke with prominent symptoms of dizziness and right hemiparesis, with a recorded blood pressure of 200/100mmHg.

Immediately, the patient underwent an MRI scan, which confirmed a right cerebellar infarction. The patient's blood pressure was controlled, and a thrombolytic drug (rTPA) was injected intravenously to reopen the blocked blood vessels, helping to provide timely blood and oxygen to brain cells at risk of serious damage.

On October 16, Dr. Le Minh Man (Department of Neurology, Xuyen A General Hospital) said that immediately after the injection, the patient's dizziness and ataxia were quickly reduced and he was able to maintain balance when sitting and walking. Mr. B. can walk and move normally, with no evidence of large blood vessel stenosis or occlusion on the CT scan of the brain's blood vessels. This is clear evidence of the effectiveness of timely stroke emergency treatment, because "time is brain".

Doctor examines patient after recovery

PHOTO: MM

Mr. B. was then transferred to the hospital's Department of Neurology for further treatment, monitoring and screening for stroke causes. Thanks to the care and attention of the team of doctors and nurses, Mr. B. was discharged after 7 days. To avoid the risk of recurrence, Mr. B. was advised to strictly follow the doctor's prescription, not to stop taking the medication on his own and to control his high blood pressure in the long term. In particular, it is necessary to completely quit the habit of drinking alcohol and limit sports and strenuous exercise because it can affect the blood vessels.

Doctor Le Minh Man recommends that when detecting signs of stroke in a relative or someone around them (according to the FAST rule), people need to take the patient immediately to the nearest medical facility with a stroke center for timely treatment. Absolutely do not treat with folk methods because this will waste the "golden time", causing the patient to fall into a coma, even endangering their life.

Typical signs of stroke follow the FAST rule (mouth distortion, arm paralysis, difficulty speaking, determine the earliest time to take the patient to the hospital). However, some special cases, like this patient, have less common signs of stroke: BE (dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of balance, loss of vision, blurred vision, double vision). Therefore, sometimes the early signs of stroke are written as BEFAST

Why can stroke happen while playing sports?

Although regular and moderate exercise reduces the risk of stroke in the long term, stroke can still occur during or immediately after exercise, for the following reasons:

Overexertion and high intensity: When playing sports at too high intensity or overexertion, the need for oxygen and blood supply to the body, especially the brain, increases suddenly. If the circulatory system cannot respond in time, it can lead to ischemia, causing a stroke.

Underlying medical conditions: This is the leading cause. Many sports strokes occur in people who already have risk factors or underlying cardiovascular and vascular conditions that they may not be aware of, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, brain arteriovenous malformations, or other vascular problems. Overexertion can trigger these conditions, making them worse, leading to a stroke.

In contact sports or high-risk contact sports, trauma can lead to carotid artery dissection, a common cause of stroke in young adults and athletes. Exercising when you are sleep deprived, dehydrated, or eating poorly can also increase your risk.

Therefore, playing high-intensity sports can create a great pressure on the cardiovascular and blood vessel system, affecting potential health problems. Therefore, regular health screening and moderate exercise are very important to prevent the risk of stroke.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-cuu-nam-thanh-nien-bi-dot-quy-khi-dang-choi-da-bong-18525101612380444.htm